


Forcing the Issue

by InkstainedGwyn



Category: Persona 4
Genre: AU, Fluff, Happy Ending, M/M, Short, but really enjoy freaking people out, dammit izanagi, go back and play with jiraiya, in which shadows are assholes, they get the job done
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-11-23
Updated: 2016-11-23
Packaged: 2018-09-01 16:50:45
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,620
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8631472
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/InkstainedGwyn/pseuds/InkstainedGwyn
Summary: Souji and Yosuke are happily living together - or so Yosuke thinks, until Souji's shadow shows up to tell him that not everything is as peaceful as he thinks it is.





	

**Author's Note:**

> I'm sorry I've been gone so long. I think I really needed a break - I'm not _completely_ back, but I feel better than I did. I've got a bunch of comments to get to, and I will in the next day or two, and over the long weekend I should have a chance to work a bit more on some other stories. 
> 
> Sorry I kind of vanished, but thanks for sticking around, guys. Enjoy this little fluff piece; obviously it's a lot happier than it seems on the surface!
> 
> Here's my [tumblr](https://ohlookashinysquirrel.tumblr.com) if you want to poke at me.

“Ahhh! What the hell?”

“Yosuke, stand back. Izanagi, what are you doing here?”

Souji’s voice was measured and calm as he stood between his boyfriend and his shadow. Like Yosuke, he’d been alarmed to see his shadow step out of their TV; the two men had just been sitting on the couch watching an after-dinner cooking show - well, Souji had been watching, and Yosuke had been poking at something on his phone as he lay with his head in Souji’s lap - so it wasn’t like their high school days, back when they were pining for one another. In fact, Souji had just been thinking about how _nice_ it felt, living with Yosuke, and how much he wanted it to be-

Oh.

_Oh. Shit._

He realised a split-second too late that Izanagi, being his shadow, could read his mind; the golden-eyed doppelganger crossed his arms, smirking at his human host. “Hmmmmm. So, Souji, why _won’t_ you tell him?”

 _No. Not this. Not here._ Clenching his hands, he grit his teeth. “Not right now, Izanagi.” At the same time, he felt Yosuke shift a little, off behind him and to the side.

“Tell me what?”

Of course, it was too much to hope that the shadow would just take that and go. Souji was _relatively_ certain it wasn’t going to go berserk and hurt them physically - but he also knew from past experience that it could do just as much emotional damage, if it cared to.

It clearly cared to.

“Oh, you see.” There was a sneer on Izanagi’s face, and he looked past Souji’s shoulder to leer at Yosuke in a way that Souji decidedly _did not_ like. _Hands off, you’ve got Jiraiya._ Izanagi just smirked. “The reason I’m here is because _he’s_ -” here, he jerked his thumb at Souji “-been hiding things. Again.”

* * *

Behind Souji, Yosuke felt himself grow cold, with a knot of fear in his stomach. _Souji? Souji never hides anything… unless it’s something he’s afraid to tell me… like when we started dating_. Chewing his lip, he forced himself to keep his voice steady. “Like what?”

Before Izanagi could answer, Souji shifted, moving between the two so that the brunette could no longer see his boyfriend’s shadow. “Izanagi.” His voice sounded strangled, and that just made Yosuke feel even more worried. “I’ll handle this later. I don’t need your interference!” 

Shifting so that he could see Izanagi again, Yosuke looked back and forth between the two; when his eyes met the golden ones of Souji’s shadow, it laughed. 

“Oh. I think you do.” He smiled at Yosuke, and the brunette shuddered at how _amused_ the expression looked. “You see, he’s tired of you being his lover, but he doesn’t know how to tell you.”

No words could have hurt Yosuke more. It was like a physical blow to the stomach, and he felt himself stagger backwards, fingers and toes growing numb with agony. Even as he did, he vaguely heard Souji, just as vaguely noted that his boyfriend ( _weary lover?_ ) sounded angrier than he’d ever heard, at least not since the murders, and Adachi.

“Fuck you, Izanagi! I was going to tell him when the time was right!” 

_Oh god._ Even the thought was faint as Yosuke realised that Souji was _confirming_ what his shadow had said. _Oh god. It’s… over?_

The shadow, meanwhile, just laughed. “Oh, please. We all know that if it was up to you, the time would never be right, and it’s irritating the shit out of me.” He turned towards the TV and began to climb into it, but then looked back over his shoulder. “Have a nice talk, you two.” 

He was gone before either of them could do anything, but Yosuke wouldn’t have been able to act even if he’d wanted to. His mind was reeling, and he didn’t know _what_ to do; it felt as if his entire world was falling apart. 

_What? How? How can I have missed the signs? We… everything seemed so…_ happy _. He kissed me after dinner like he didn’t have a care in the world! We were just sitting together on the couch, holding hands! How can he be_ tired _of me?_

But if he was… the last thing Yosuke had ever wanted to be was a burden. Souji was his heart and his happiness, but if Souji was unhappy… if he was _tired_ of the brunette… 

He’d just have to go.

Without even stopping to think about logistics, he started to move towards the door. He had to go somewhere, _anywhere_. Putting his hands over his face, he finally managed to get out some strangled words. 

“I’m sorry, I- I’ll- I need… I’ll need to g-go, and… I, um, I’ll need- need some space and… and time, but I- if you ever want… want to be p-partners.. again-”

His teeth were chattering, but before he could actually make it to the steps Souji was at his side, an arm around his shoulders. “Yosuke. What are you talking about?” 

The silver-haired man’s voice was so gentle that it _killed_ Yosuke, and the brunette wished he’d just _stop_ , and he tried to push the arm away. “You- you’re tired of me, and-”

He looked up, knowing full-well that his eyes were bleary from the tears he was forcing himself not to shed, and he saw a pained look - followed by a flash of what looked like _anger_ \- on Souji’s face as his boyfriend ( _ex?_ ) sucked in a breath. 

“Yosuke, listen to me.” Souji’s voice was low, and there was an earnest note to it that forced Yosuke to stop and at least hear him out. “Shadows are assholes and they only tell partial truths. I-” He bit his lip, then shook his head. “His words were _exactly_ truth and nothing more, but being tired of _you_ was  not what they meant, I swear. Wait here - don’t go anywhere. Just… five minutes, Yosuke, or less. I swear it’s not what it sounded like.”

Without even waiting for the brunette to nod or agree, Souji ran off to the second floor, taking the stairs two at a time; Yosuke just stood off to one side, near the shoes, staring at the floor. He felt numb, and despite Souji’s words, wouldn’t allow himself to hope. _Couldn’t_ allow himself to hope.

Upstairs, he heard the pounding of his boyfriend’s feet, followed by the sound of wood scraping, as if he was opening one of their dresser drawers. Then he was rushing downstairs, but Yosuke hurt, and he was too scared to look up, and-

“Yosuke.”

Souji sounded breathless, and there was a hesitant note in his voice that Yosuke couldn’t place; looking up, he saw that his boyfriend was holding a box. This barely had a chance to register before Souji dropped down to one knee; the move was so unexpected that the brunette felt his jaw drop. 

_Is this- no, this can’t be, but what-_

With hands that looked like they were trembling, Souji opened the box, and Yosuke was stunned to see a diamond-studded ring inside, made of what looked like white gold. Heart in his throat, he looked up to meet his boyfriend’s eyes; Souji was watching him nervously, and the expression in his eyes said _nothing_ about being tired of Yosuke, or wanting him gone. Clearing his throat, he began to speak - a good thing, because the brunette was speechless. 

“Izanagi meant I was tired of you as a _lover_ because I want you to be my _husband_. I want it so badly that it’s been haunting me for months now, but I wasn’t sure how you’d take it… and I didn’t want to make you uncomfortable. You still might want to leave me after this, but I love you, Yosuke Hanamura. Will you marry me?

Like that, the agony of the last ten minutes was gone, and Yosuke’s heart was racing for an entirely _different_ reason; he stopped trying to hold in the tears - tears that were now of joy and not of pain - and he threw himself at Souji, wrapping his arms around his boyfriend’s neck. “Oh my god, you stupid idiot, of _course_ I’ll marry you, of _course_ I’m not going to leave you! Oh my god, I _love_ you, I love you so much.” 

Under his arms, he felt Souji’s shoulders relax as the silver-haired man brought his hand up to stroke Yosuke’s hair, holding him close. “Oh, thank god. I’m so sorry I waited and worried enough to make Izanagi to show up and force the issue.”

“It’s- well, I won’t say it’s _fine_ , but it’s fine. God, I’m just so relieved you don’t want me to leave, that you’re not tired of me…” Yosuke wrapped his arms more tightly around Souji, and Souji just held him close. 

“I love you, Yosuke, and I will _never_ want you to leave, okay?” 

“Good, because I’ll never _want_ to leave, partner.”

* * *

Several months later, Yosuke found himself walking up to a small altar as Souji stepped up beside him; he looked over at his fiancé and was was struck by the reverent, _amazed_ look on Souji’s face as he reached for Yosuke’s hand. They were dressed similarly - Yosuke was wearing a chestnut brown tailcoat, while Souji’s was dove grey and white - and Yosuke couldn’t stop staring at how handsome Souji looked. 

Lifting Yosuke’s hand to his lips, Souji kissed it, smiling softly; Yosuke blushed, twisting his hand to cup the silver-haired man’s cheek for just a moment; he’d never been as happy before as he was right now. 

“Love you,” he mouthed. 

Souji’s face lit up, and his smile widened. “Love you, too.”

Hand-in-hand, they turned their attention back to the altar. 


End file.
